Babalwa had hand surgery in May 2011. She is pictured here in green with her arm in a sling. The other children are Nkosi N (2), Dorah (17) (light blue behind Babalwa), Sizwe (10) in green striped top, Dikeledi (8)in mid-blue top also with her right arm in a sling, Boipelo (16) in green floral top, Karabo (10) in darker green top behind Sizwe.

Babalwa and her friend Dikeledi in February 2011

Babalwa Mfengu turns 11 years old on 2 May 2011. She was brought to Children of Fire by a well-wisher in December 2010, and then her aunt Luleka Precious Batula brought her in February 2011 to live with us during assessment. She was badly burned in 2004 at the age of three when she was playing - burning paper on a paraffin stove. She says that she didn't realise that fire was so dangerous and when the paper burst into flames, she dropped it into a nearby cardboard box, which in turn caught alight.

The fire progressed throughout the room, burning Babalwa in the process. She doesn't remember how long she was in hospital for. Her head, face, arms and torso were badly burned. She lost almost all the hair on her head and all the fingernails on her fire-shortened fingers. She says that has undergone two skin graft operations, but it is probably more.

Babalwa cannot have tissue expansion of the scalp but would benefit from a back muscle being grafted to the top of her head and better quality skin being grafted on top. The likelihood of getting that surgery in Johannesburg is probably nil.

She would also benefit from hand surgery though some of the misaligned joints are maybe fused beyond saving.

Babalwa's favourite sport is netball, but she also likes playing cricket in the street with her two brothers, her sister and cousins. In February 2011 she is attending the Johannesburg School for Blind, Low Vision and Multiple Disability Children but she will return to the West Rand Primary School, near Kagiso 2.

After school she goes to her aunt and uncle's home for dinner and then is collected by her elder brother who takes her to his shack to sleep. He is unemployed. Babalwa says that at night she sleeps with her two brothers in the shack. It is unclear as to where her younger sister stays at night.

Babalwa's parents live in the Eastern Cape and cannot afford to take care of their three children, which is why maternal aunt, Luleka helps to feed and clothe her younger nieces and nephew.

Babalwa speaks four languages - Xhosa, Afrikaans, Tswana and English and when she grows up she hopes to be a teacher. Her favourite subject is art and she loves singing hip hop and gospel songs.